Nov 12, 2011
The \"Do they Like me Epidemic\"
To view this player, you must have javascript enabled.
To download podcasts, click on the 
to the right side of the player.
Copyright © 2012 The Free Believers Network | All Rights Reserved
So true- "women dress up for other women!"
This was a great podcast. This is so true. I find myself really struggling with this at times. All my life, I've always been called "weird" or "artsy", and it used to really bother me as a child, because I wasn't the most "popular" in the group. Now, I'm realizing that the fact that I'm never the most "popular" is the greatest gift, because the people that call me a friend, really are my friend. And more and more I find myself transparent with others, and you see which ones you click with, and which ones you don't, and that's ok! That's good! That's real! Wow-"blessed be the poor in spirit" starts to make more sense.
Thank you. Thanx for sharing your personal experiences. Such a good discussion and thoughts that will help me sort out some of the inner confusion I have sometimes. I value truth and honesty and justice and when I shoot my mouth off usually with a lot of passion and stand for what I believe and my heart cries out for and the response is . . . lets say to put it mildly less then positive I can be filled with self doubt too. Questioned about my Free Believer status all I can say is I would rather be alone then sell my soul. That said, no matter how strong ones convictions especially about the heart of God and love in action, there can still be pain when those who claim to live there too hate you and endeavor to destroy your character and shun you. It's stressful. I need to grow in this not caring so much - I could do with a little less angst. And yet it feels so good to know who I am and to respect and like myself. I'm really interested in other's input on this!
I absolutely loved this podcast. I can so relate, having five children myself. Every time you use family illustrations, they really hit home, because one can so identify. Love it.
Moe is a cool name.
Okay, so why does that make me LAUGH? Is this a test? Do you think I CARE what you think of my name??? HAH! Actually, my "real" name is Maureen but ONLY my original family calls me that, or people who want to scare the stuffin' out of me : )
I have found that I had very few friends. Should have left many, many times. Funny in church, speaking my truth made the best of friends run from me. But the few "real" friends I have had even when I was acting out and doing some unspeakable things because of pain they didn't leave me. I was told from my very best friend "I will never leave you because of what you say or do because I know your heart". Hats off to those that have stuck by me!
I love what your best friend said Marcie: "I will never leave you because of what you say or do because I know your heart". I covet more friends like that and I want to love enough to honestly be a friend like that. There are friends and then there are FRIENDS - the "know your heart" kind.
I loved the part where Darin talked about people doing "spiritual calisthenics". I've been there before (major understatement), trying to figure out why I didn't seem to be the league as those that seemed to have a directly line to God, and appeared that they had God's "favor". Once I heard this message or learned about this "movement" (if that's what you want to call it, for lack of better words), my faith and relationship with God was completely transformed. I now realize that the "others" for the most part, are posers.
I learned back then that if I didn't have it all together, according the their standards, and asked questions, I wasn't very well liked. I know I wasn't liked because of the answers I received. Such as, "you just need to pray more", or "you need more one on one time with the Lord", etc. Never did I hear, He loves you, no matter what. Don't do a thing and let Him love you.
Now I'm not liked by the same crowd, for a totally opposite reason.
(continued)
The funny part is, I don't give a rip! God's love and grace fill so many of life's gaps, there's no longer a need to seek out acceptance. I'm sure that irks some people.
One very important message that Darin has shared that has struck me square between the eyes, is for me to simply be me. For example, I worked for a guy who was on my @$$ all the time for things I would say, or how he perceived I acted or behaved. This guy was trying to shape me into his image, rather than let me be me.
I was blessed with a new job almost a year ago, and the greatest thing happened. I can be me, with my warped and sometimes dark sense of humor, being a prankster and wise@$$, and I feel more like by this bunch than any other place I have worked. I love these people, and I know they love me, or at least like me for who I am. I didn't have to seek anything, it just happened. And if someone doesn't like me, once again, who gives a rip! :)
I really appreciate what you shared Kimball - my husband has a crazy, irreverant sense of humor with a huge sense of the ridiculous. Over and over he's been reprimanded for "jesting", "jocularity" being "too funny" and "laughing too much" as well as, worst of all sins, "encouraging others to be silly and not take life seriously enof". Thank God he retained his humor and let the serious-nazi's go. This was only one issue we had addressed for us during IC years - we "needed help" with dress, diet, devotions, language, etc etc. The underlying message of course was if we didn't get it "right" we could lose God's favor and our salvation. Darin mentioned the word narcasistic - that's the crazy thing - rather then becoming less self-centered, it was like all we could think about was ourselves and having the approval of the religious critics and overseers which ='d God back then. We can never hear enof that it's okay to just be ourselves and live loved . . . and laugh!!
The funny part I left out of that story of the guy I worked for was we met at a ministry in an I.C. and he ended up hiring me for the company he runs. And the company has many believers who own it. It was probably the worst company, and the worst boss, I ever worked for!!
Now lets imagine for a moment, Jesus was hanging out with a pretty rough bunch most of the time. No one can tell me that there weren't occasions where someone did something funny, i.e. belched, or worse, and Jesus didn't get a chuckle out of it. They were a bunch of dude's hanging out, you know there was some bathroom humor or worse!
After I made the switch back to that evil "secular" music, I was driving along enjoying some rock, and God said to me, "I enjoy you enjoying life." He knew how tied up in knots I once was, and He helped remove those knots, and He likes it that way. We are much better vessels without the notes, we can float freely and truly be Him to the world.
this is SO true Kimball. I love the way you put it. People would be surprised to find that God is more interested in them enjoying life and living in freedom then He is in people not sinning. I wish I could pound this truth into the hearts of people everywhere. Thanks!